Track-claw.



UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TRACK-CLAW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,462, dated April 26, 1904. l Application filed Iebruary fi, 1904. Serial No. 192,378. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ANDREW P. NIoHoLs, a

My invention relates to devices which span the head of a rail and which ar'e'attached to the ends of track-gages and other track-laying machines, and is more particularly an improvement in my track-gage'for which I filed an application for Letters Patent on September 8, 1903, under Serial No. 172,328; and has for its objects, first, to provide an adjustable claw which can be made to fit any size rail-head; second, to construct the claw in such a manner that it will stand .rough handling without injury; third,to so arrange the parts that sand,

dirt, clay, &c., will not enter the working parts to interfere with its ready adjustment, and, fourth, to so construct and arrange the parts that the claw when in use will have no screw-threaded part exposed to damage. I

attain these objects by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a full size vertical section of the outer or adjustable part of the claw. Fig. 2 is a reduced side viewof the whole claw, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

This claw consists of two main partsthe inside fixed part, secured to the pipe .or bar of the track-gage, and the outside part, adj ustably secured to said pipe or bar.

order'to accurately fit over the rail-head of The parts are so constructed move the rail does not'move them relatively to each other. If the strain is such as 'to draw the rails together to reduce the gage-of the track, the outer adjustable part takes all the strain; but if it is such as to move the rails farther apart the inner part takes all the strain.

7 The fixed partis adapted to engage the inner side of the railhead, and the adjustable part is adapted'to engage the outside ofthe same rail hea'd, the" distance between the parts being adjustable in It is understood that one of these claws is on each end of the track-gage and that the gage is constructed in such a manner that the distance between its ends may be increased or reduced to forcibly increase or reduce the gage of the track.

The fixed inner part of the claw consists of a hollow casting 1, forming a sleeve through which the rod or pipe 2 of the trackgage passes. The pipe '2 has a slight shoulder formed thereon, and the casting 1 is shrunk on the pipe against this shoulder. The casting 1 is also formed with one or two downwardly extending lugs 5, adapted to engage the inner side of the rail-head't and to form the line from which the gage of the track is measured. As explained in my former application above mentioned, I prefer to construct the claw at one end of the gage with one lug on each side of the rail-head and that at the other end of the gage with two lugs on each side, the claw with the two lugs on each side engaging the fixed rail and the claw with the one lug on each. side engaging the rail tobe moved.

The main casting 3 of the outer adjustable part of the claw is constructed somewhatsimilar to the above-described casting 1, being pro-- vided with lugs 5, similar to those described; but instead of being secured on the pipe it is adapted to slide thereon, being controlled in its sliding action by the following mechanism: The end of the pipe 2 is threaded on the inside, as shown in Fig. 1 at 6; Into this threaded end 6 screws the threaded piece 7, which is shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 1, being provided with a main screw-shank extending from the shoulders 8 and 9. Shrunk on the shoulder 8 and also pinned theretois the sleeve 10, extending from the shoulder 8 over the main shank. The end of the sleevelO isprovided with a flange lll The main casting 3 is-formed with a socket on its outer end of 'suflicient diameter to receive the flange 11 on the 'piece 10 and to allow the said piece to turn freely init. The outer part of the socket thus formed'is screw-threaded, as at 12. Into this socket screws the sleeve 13, which fits loosely over the sleeve 10 and closes the socket formed in the end of the piece 3, so that the flange 11 will engage the end of the sleeve 13 and will IOO prevent the piece 3 from being moved longitudinally, but so as to allow the piece 10 to turn freely in the socket. -A set-screw 14 is screwed through the part 3, so as to engage the thread on the sleeve 13, and thus to prevent it from unscrewing. The casting 3 is kept from turning on the pipe 2 by means of the pin 15 in the pipe and working in the slot 16 in the casting 3, allowing it to slide on the pipe 2 without turning thereon. The upper inner portion of the casting 3 is cut or split, as at 17, andis provided with lugs or ears 18 on each side of said split 17 and which may be drawn together by the screw 19, thus clamping the casting 3 to the pipe in any position on the pipe 2, so that when it is set for a particular size of rail-head it will not require continuous care to see that the adjustable part does not get turned by the rough usage to which such tools are subjected. The holes 20 may be made near the end of the piece 7 so that apin may be inserted therein to turn it.

The operation of the parts may be briefly described as follows: If it is desired to place the claw on a rail which does not fit between the lugs 5 on the castings 1 and 3, apin is inserted in one of the holes 20 and the piece 7 is turned, screwing either in or out of the pipe 2, according to the direction in which it is turned. The sleeve 10 being fastened to the piece 7 turns with it. The casting 3, sliding on the pipe 2, does not turn and neither does the sleeve 13. The flange 11 of the sleeve 10 either pushes on the end of the socket in the end of the casting 3 or else draws on the end of the sleeve 13, according to whether the piece 7 is turned to screw in or out of the pipe 2. A cork or other plug may be used to close the central longitudinal hole in the piece 7, or this piece may be made solid.

It will be readily seen that there is no damageable part of my device which is not protected from any reasonable misuse which any track-tool is liable to receive at any time in practical use.- It will be further understood that the rail-head 4 comes in contact only with the lugs 5 and the under part of the main castings 1 and 3.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a track-tool, the combination with a gage-bar adapted to span between the rails the ends of said gage-bar being hollow and tapped within with a screw-thread, of a casting secured to said gage-bar and having lugs thereon adapted to engage the inner side of the rail-head, a casting sliding on said gage-bar and having lugs thereon adapted to engage the outer side of the rail-head, and a screw-threaded piece screwing into the end of said gage-bar and provided with a sleeve extending over said gagebar and engaging said sliding casting whereby the distance between the lugs on said fixed casting and on said sliding casting may be adjusted.

2. In a track-tool, the combination with a gage-bar adapted to span between the rails the ends of said gage-bar being hollow and. tapped within with a screw-thread, of a casting secured to said gage-bar and having lugs thereon adapted to engage the inner side of the rail-head, a casting sliding on said gage-bar and having lugs thereon adapted to engage the outer side of the rail-head, a screw-threaded socket in the outer end of said sliding casting, a screw-threaded piece screwing into the end of said gage-bar and provided with a sleeve extending over said gage-bar and entering the socket in said sliding casting, said sleeve having a flange on the end thereof, and a screwthreaded sleeve passing over said sleeve and screwing into said socket and against said flange whereby when said screwthreaded piece is turned to screw into or out of said gage-bar said flange will force said sliding casting toward or away from said fixed casting.

3. In a track-tool, the combination with a gage-bar adapted to span between the rails the end of said gage-bar being hollow and tapped within with a screw-thread, of a casting secured to said gage-bar and having lugs thereon adapted to engage the inner side of the rail-head, a casting sliding on said gagebar and having lugs thereon adapted to engage the outer side ofthe rail-head, a pin secured to said gage-bar and adapted to engage a slot in said sliding bar whereby said sliding bar is pre vented from turning on said gage-bar, a screwthreaded socket in the outer end of the said sliding casting, a screw-threaded piece screwing into the end of said gage-bar and provided with a sleeve extending over said gage-bar and entering the socket in said sliding casting, said sleeve having a flange on the end thereof, and a screw-threaded sleeve passing over said sleeve and screwing into said socket and against said flange whereby when said screwthreaded piece is turned to screw into or out of said gage-bar said flange will force said sliding casting toward or away from said fixed casting.

4. In a track-tool, the combination with a gage-bar adapted to span between the rails the end of said gage-bar being hollow and tapped within with a screw-thread, ofa casting secured to said gage-bar and having lugs thereon adapted to engage the inner side of the rail-head, a casting sliding on said gage-bar and having lugs thereon adapted to engage the outer side of the rail-head, a screw-threaded socket in the outer end of said sliding casting, a screw-threaded piece screwing into the end of said gage-bar and provided with a sleeve extending over said gage-bar and entering the socket in said sliding casting, said sleeve having a flange on the end thereof,. a screwthreaded sleeve passing over said sleeve and screwing into said socket and against said flange whereby when said screw-threaded piece is turned to screw into or out of said gagebar said flange will force said slidingcasting Signed at Tacoma, Washington, this 28th toward or away from said fixed casting, a day of January, 1904. part of said sliding casting being split and being provided with ears on each side of said ANDREW NICHOLS 5 split and with a screw therein whereby said Witnesses:

sliding casting may be clamped .to said gage- S. P. WEAVER,

bar. v CARL F. HELM. 

